Where is the Water…….. Transition Streets 4.3 Sydney Water have made this chart to show where water is used and roughly how much. Appliance/source Litres (lt) used Shower Regular showerhead Water efficient showerhead 10 lt / minute 6-7 lt/ minute Bath Average bath 110 lt Toilet Single flush toilet Older dual flush toilet (1983s model) Modern dual flush toilet (2005 or … Read More
Grey Water Diverters
Capturing that waste water…….. Transition Streets 4.4 Apart from a bucket in the shower, and using a sink insert bucket when washing up, the only way to capture that waste water is by inserting a diversion point into the plumbing. This can be as simple as a rubber funnel inserted into the inspection hole on the out flow … Read More
How Much Water Do You Use?
A quiz to estimate your water use …….. Transition Streets 4.2 Hunter Water developed this quick quiz to estimate how much water your household might use – Water Use Calculator. How did you compare? Did it match your household water bill? Tom Danby, Moonee Valley Sustainability, 2020
Swales
Shaping your garden for water …….. Transition Streets 4.7 Swales – taking advantage of any slope in your garden to slow and capture rain water, or creating mini storage areas in the ground itself, by building earthworks and ditches. Canberra Permaculture Design have written a detailed account of one of their projects. And Gardening Australia made this video – Series … Read More
Down Pipes and Tanks
Rainwater Collection …….. Transition Streets 4.6 Diverting, collecting, cleaning, and storing rainwater is a complex task. The most simple is a down pipe diverter running into a small storage tank. The more complex become total water management systems – to get into the technical details use the ATA Tankulator – tank size estimates, tank materials, tank placement and more. And … Read More
Grey Water Systems
More than a purple hose …….. Transition Streets 4.5 Systems for treating the grey water can be super complex and expensive. So have a look at this Living Big in a Tiny House video – a Permaculture based Grey Water Treatment system – effective reuse of both water and materials. Other systems can built using settling tanks and reed beds … Read More
Vertical Gardens and Wicking Beds
Using water efficiently…….. Transition Streets 4.8 Constructed systems that use water efficiently, that reduce evaporation, and that give you better control over nutrient levels, can vastly increase your crops and decrease overall water use. Vertical Gardens – the growing locations are stacked in layers, the watering system constructed for self-watering, water reuse, and controlled nutrient delivery. One example is the … Read More
Electric Vehicles to Own
Electric Vehicles to Own…….. Transition Streets 5.5 Some of the world’s commercially manufactured electric vehicles are on sale in Australia. At June 2020 – it included the following models: New Vehicles BMW i3 $68,700 Plus Hyundai Ioniq $46K Plus Hyundai Kona Electric $60-64K Jaguar I-Pace $120K Plus Mercedes EQC $138K Plus Nissan LEAF 2018 $50K Renault Zoe $50K Plus Renault Kangoo $53K ( Commercial Van ) Tesla … Read More
Community Litter Action
Litter Action…….. Transition Streets 6.7 Illegal dumping and general litter costs local government around $70 million a year in collection and clean up costs. Community and volunteer groups like “Clean Up Australia” the various “Adopt A ….road, highway, town” groups, and bodies like “ Riverkeepers” are running clean up and collection events, and campaigns to raise public awareness. There are … Read More
Zero Waste Festivals
Zero Waste Festivals …….. Transition Streets 6.6 Festivals, food fairs, and large public events can be murder on waste. Plastic food containers, drink containers, zip-ties, packaging, and souvenirs generally end up in landfill. A typical music festival of 16,000 people can create 8 tonnes of waste. Community Groups, Land Care & Environmental groups, and many event organisers are working to … Read More